Golf club



Oct. 17, 1944. M. B. REACH 2,360,364

GOLF CLUB Filed Jan; 7, 1942 INVENTOR lgl iorz B. Rea/ck mzsw Patented Oct. 17, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GOLF CLUB Milton B. Reach, Springfield, Mass.

Application January 7, 1942, Serial No. 425,877

8 Claims.

This invention relates to golf irons and particularly to methods of and means for most effectively distributing and changing weight in the blade of a golf iron.

Heretofore the blades of some. golf irons have had much of their mass disposed in a single wide bulge along the sole of the club, or in some trick clubs near the outer extremities of the toe and heel of the blade. The feel of the ball impact at the sweet spot of such clubs has been described as tinny and as generally unsatisfactory.

It is an important object of the present invention to distribute the weight of the blade of a golf club iron in such a manner as to increase the power and firmness of the impact.

feature of the present invention is the provision in a golf iron of a blade having more of its mass disposed in juxtaposition to the sweet spot area than is customary in most present day golf clubs.

Iron heads for golf clubs are manufactured under practical weight limitations; for instance, a #2 iron usually runs between 3 oz. to 8 oz. It is considered desirable, therefore, to distribute its mass so that its weight can be most productive in shot-making feel and results.

Heretofore when irons of light weight have been desired, it has usually been necessary to prepare special irons and/or to extensively grind off portions of irons of standard weight.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lightweight golf iron which can easily be manufactured.

Heretofore a factory making both lightweight and heavyweight irons has encountered difiiculties because of the aforementioned practice of grinding olf heavyweight irons to form lightweight irons.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an economical process of making both lightweight irons and heavyweight irons and to provide a golf club structure suitable for said process.

A feature of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is the provision of a lightweight iron having recesses for the accommodation of weight by means of which the iron can be converted into a heavyweight iron.

With mos" irons heretofore available it has not been possible to compensate for a tendency to slice or to compensate for a tendency to hook.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure by means of which it is possible to adjust the club head to produce a better feel at impact and tend to correct slicing or hooking.

A feature of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is the provision of a plurality of recesses in which weights can be adjustably positioned either nearer the toe or nearer the heel to compensate for the above-discussed tendencies to strike the ball along an unsatisfactory path.

Some of the prior proposals for weighted golf clubs have involved the use of weight-receiving recesses which could be cleaned only with great difficulty in the event said recesses became filled with dirt or other foreign matter.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a golf iron having recesses which can easily be cleaned and which will be substantially self-cleaning.

Some golf irons heretofore available have positioned much of the mass of a glof club blade below the sweet spot.

It is an object of the present invention to position the mass of a blade relatively nearer the sweet spot area than is customary in most present day golf irons.

A feature of the present invention is the provision of recesses extending from the sole or bottom face of the blade.

Heretofore some golf irons, in order to be of sufficiently light weight, have been provided with such narrow bottom or sole faces that some players have objected to the difficulty of playing with them.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a golf iron having a sufficiently long dimension from the striking face to the back of the club and sufficient bottom or sole face area to maximize the convenience of playing with said golf iron.

A feature of the present invention is the provision of three rearwardly extending projections each and all cooperatively defining a main bottom or sole face.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 represents a front view of a simple form of the present invention. 7

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the club head shown in Fig. 1.

I Fig. 3 is a front View of a preferred form of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a bottom View of th preferred form of the invention shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fi 3.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of an additional form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of an alternative form of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a club head with a modified form of recess.

Throughout the specification the term lengthof-the-club blade refers to the heel-to-toe or longitudinal dimension; width refers to the face-to-back or lateral dimension; height refers to the bottom-to-top or vertical dimension; and, bottom refers to the surface which in normal play is nearest the ground at the moment of impact of the ball and club.

Before describing the present improvements and mode of operation thereof in detail it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawing, which are merely illustrative of the present preferred embodiments, since the invention is capable of other embodiments, and the phraseology employed is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, and particularly in the simplest form of the invention as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, there is provided a head for a golf iron. The head includes a blade 2| and usually includes a hosel 22.

Heretofore it has been the practice to provide golf irons with a single sole face. Moreover, in order to provide a sufficiently large lateral (from striking face to the back) dimension for the sole face, it has been customary to provide an enlarged portion at the sole section. In the development of the present invention it is believed that the distribution of mass in such conventional golf irons was unsatisfactory. In many of the conventional golf irons much of the mass is positioned near the sole face instead of near the sweet spot.

It should be particularly noted that according to the present invention there is provided a subsole 23 spaced from a main sole 24, thereby making possible cavities and 26. The provision of the sub-sole and cavities decreases the amount of mass at the sole of the golf iron, and thereby relatively redistributes the mass. Particular attention is directed to the fact that the provision of the stepped bottom face and cavities distributes a relatively greater portion of the mass nearer the sweet spot, Inasmuch as the cavities are disposed so that the ordinary golf stroke would not fill them with dirt, there is relatively little likelihood of the novel cavities becoming filled with foreign matter. However, in the event that the cavities do become dirty, they may easily be cleaned and foreign matter removed therefrom. Furthermore, since the cavities expand as they approach the back of the club head, and are open at the back, they are, in effect, self-cleaning.

The blade 2| includes a sole section 21 disposed between the main sole 24 and the sub-sol 23, including an inner and two outer portions, sometimes hereinafter designated as a central portion 28, a toe portion 29 and a heel portion 36. The cavity 25 is disposed between the toe portion and the central portion and the cavity 26 is disposed between the heel portion and the central portion. Heretofore golf irons have generally been of a predetermined weight. In applicants copending applications, Serial No. 322,885, filed March 8, 1940, and Serial No. 393,903, filed May 17, 1941, certain embodiments of weighted golf irons have been disclosed. Other than applicants inventions, however, the prior art failed to disclose commercially satisfactory golf irons with adjustable weights because of the small space provided by a golf iron, because of the necessity for securing weights firmly enough to resist centrifugal forces, and because of the severe usage to which a golf club is subjected.

It should be particularly noted that according to the present invention a golf iron may be satisfactorily provided with adjustable weights. To this end, the preferred form of the invention shown in Figs, 3 through 6 includes adjustable Weights with the simplest form of the invention (Figs. 1 and 2) described hereinabove. However, a blade 3| is provided with two cylindrical recesses 32 and 32' extending from the sub-sole 23 and communicating with the cavities 25 and 26 respectively. Attention is called to the fact that either or both of the recesses may be provided with a cylindrical weight 33 which may be suitably secured in position as by means of a machine screw 34. One or more resilient washers 35, such as rubber washers, may be used to minimize the noise, assist in holding the weight in the recess and to achieve other desirable results.

It should be noted that the axis of the recess 32, weight 33 and screw 34 are in a main central plane 36 which divides the blade into forward and rear portions of equal mass. Thus, the presence or absence of the weight does not affect the lateral position of the center of gravity of the blade. Moreover, because the recess is provided with its axis in the main central plane, the manufacturing difficulties incident to the use of weighting means in a golf iron are minimized. The likelihood of drilling through the rear surfaces of the body, or through the striking face, is eliminated by disposing the axis in the main central plane. If the screw protruded into the striking face, a golf ball might be marred or damaged when struck. Moreover, even if the screw did not protrude when the club head wasinitially manufactured, if there were thin sections incident to the disposing of the axis other than substantially in the main central plane, those thin sections would substantially weaken the blade and might cause it to rupture after a short period of normal use.

Attention is called to the fact that the weight 33 can be placed either in the recess 32 or in the recess 32, thereby giving the blade 3| the property of compensating for a tendency to slice or hook. Weights can be placed in both recesses to give the ball the maximum drive, or heavier weights can be inserted in one or both recesses at times such as early in the spring or late in the fall when muscles are less flexible and lack the more sensitive feel that accompanies warmer weather. It should be noted that the weights can be very easily removed, adjusted or replaced by reason of the provision of a simple, always available machine screw to maintain the weights in position. However, the machine screws are well protected from the strains to which they might be subjected at the main sole 24 by reason of the provision of the cavities 25 and 26, whereby the heads are located at the sub-sole 23 and spaced well above the ground, stones or the like which the main sole often strikes during regular play. Inasmuch as the head of the machine screw does not seat against the sub-sole 23, the head is not subjected to undue strain when the screw is securely tightened.

That form of the invention shown in Fig. 6 differs from the form shown in Fig. because it provides a tapered recess 31 and a tapered weight 38 therefor. The weight 38, being a truncated cone in shape, can be of greater weight than a cylindrical weight of the same length and of the same upper diameter (viz., the weight can be as large as the center section of the blade allows and is advantageously enlarged at the thicker lower part of the blade).

That form of the invention shown in Fig. 7 differs from the preferred form shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 particularly in that it provides a screw 39 which has an enlarged head 40 which functions as a weight. As indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. '7, the head does not necessarily extend to the stepped face 23 but may be shorter if less weight is desired. Similarly, divers sizes of weights may be provided in the structures shown in Figs. 5 and 6, as by shortening the same, by making them of lighter or heavier materials, or, by making the weights from rubber and weighted rubber. If desired, a rubber washer 35 (see Fig. 5) could be provided in the Fig. '7 structure, between the screw weight 4|] and the bottom of the recess.

The alternative form of the invention shown in Fig. 8 differs from those shown in Figs. 3 through '7 in that the recess 32, weight 33 and screw 34 are not disposed exactly in the main central plane, but are disposed in a plane 4! parallel to a striking face 42 and sufficiently spaced from the striking face so that the weight and screw nearly coincide with the position which they would have if they were disposed with their common axis in the main central plane. The head of the screw seats upon the sub-sole 23. If desired the heads of the screws shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 might also seat upon the sub-sole.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 9 is most similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but differs therefrom in that it includes a sub-sole 43 which instead of being at right angles to the striking face, is substantially parallel to the main sole face 24. Such a sub-sole may be used with the divers weighting proposals shown in Figs. 1 through 8, especially when it is desireo initially eliminate more weight at the cavities.

Other variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. In a head for golf irons, the combination of a blade having a striking face, the blade having a central plane and a length several times its width; and a main sole, including toe, heel and center portions which define cavities terminating short of the striking face and spaced longitudinally of the blade on each side of the center of the striking face and open at their bottom, the top of each cavity forming a sub-sole at substantially a right angle to said central plane above said cavities, with recesses extending through said sub-sole and upwardly in said blade axially generally in the direction of the central plane.

2. In a head for golf irons, the combination of a blade having a striking face, a sweet spot, and a sole surface extending at an acute angle to the striking face, said sole having a cavity therein located at each side of the sweet spot, the top of the cavity forming the sub-sole surface inclined toward the sole surface at the rear of the blade, the sole and sub-sole surfaces merging at the bottom rear of the blade.

3. In a head for golf irons, the combination of a blade having a striking face and a sole surface extending at an acute angle to the striking face, aid sole having at least one cavity therein, the top of the cavity forming the sub-sole surface inclined toward the sole surface at the rear of the blade, the sole and sub-sole surfaces merging at the bottom rear of the blade.

4. In a head for golf irons, the combination of a blade having a striking face, a sweet spot, and a sole surface extending at an acute angle to the striking face, said sole having a cavity therein located at each side of the sweet spot, the top of the cavity forming the sub-sole surface inclined toward the sole surface at the rear of the blade, the sole and sub-sole surfaces merging at the bottom rear of the blade, the sub-soles having recesses; and weight means secured in said recesses and lying entirely above the sole to be protected thereby against contact with the ground.

5. In a head for golf irons, the combination of a blade having a striking face, a sweet spot, and a sole surface extending at an acute angle to the striking face, said sole having a cavity therein located at each side of the sweet spot, the top of the cavity forming the sub-sole surface inclined toward the sole surface at the rear of the blade, the sole and sub-sole surfaces merging at the bottom rear of the blade, the sub-soles having recesses therein; weight means mounted in said recesses and means disposed entirely above the sole for securing the weight means in the recessses.

6. In a head for golf irons, the combination of a blade having a striking face and a length several times its width, a main sole having a bottom face extending to the striking face and having upwardly extending cavities therein terminating short of the striking face and extending to the back of the blade at the bottom rear thereof, the top of the cavity forming a sub-sole perpendicularly disposed with respect to the striking face and the side walls forming a continuously curved surface, the main sole and sub-sole forming exposed surfaces at the bottom of the blade.

7. In a head for golf irons, the combination of a blade having a striking face, a sole surface extending at an acute angle to the face of the club and having a plurality of cavities therein terminating short of the striking face, the bottom of the cavities forming sub-sole surfaces inclined toward the sole face at the rear of the blade, the sole and sub-sole surfaces substantially blending at the bottom rear of the blade, the side walls of the cavities being continuously curved and decreasing in depth from the forward part thereof toward the rear.

8. In a head for golf irons, the combination of a blade having a striking face and a length several times its width, a main sole having a bottom face extending to the striking face and having upwardly extending cavities therein terminating short of the striking face and extending to the back of the blade at the bottom rear thereof, the top of the cavity forming a sub-sole inclined toward and merging with the main sole at the bottom rear of the blade and the side walls of the cavities forming diverging curved surfaces of diminishing height whereby dirt or the like is prevented from accumulating in said cavities.

MILTON B. REACH. 

